After an early takedown from Smith and then a scramble, Lumumba Sayers forced the fight to the mat. Smith, though, slapped on a triangle choke with relative ease to prompt a first-round submission victory.

The middleweight bout was part of the main card of Saturday’s “Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman” event at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. It aired on Showtime following a prelims on Showtime Extreme.

Smith scored an early takedown but struggled to do much with the position. After a scramble, though, he cut Sayers with a blow, and after winging a hook during a subsequent exchange, he slipped to the mat.

Sayers casually followed him to the mat, but Smith easily slapped on a deep triangle choke and got the tap-out moments later. The official stoppage came at the 3:52 mark of the opening round.

“I slipped on something,” Smith said. “I don’t know what it was. I threw a big hook and kind of slipped. Instead of trying to recover and leave my chin out there – he has heavy hands – I went to my back. I feel comfortable there.”

The Nebraska-based Smith (17-8 MMA, 1-1 SF) has now won three straight fights and nine of his past 10. Sayers (6-3 MMA, 2-2 SF) suffers his first loss since back-to-back stoppage wins over Strikeforce’s Antwain Britt and Scott Smith.